The red/with white tracer and green wires originally connected to the coil positive and negative terminals, respectively. The red/white was spliced into the the other red/white that connected the ICM to the firewall connector.

This should help.

http://oljeep.com/gw/76_tsm/Section22.pdf

Matt

 

Looks like your starter solenoid wiring. Green should be the 'start' wire from the ignition switch, red/white should be +12v to the coil positive during cranking and the other red is was likely the ground connection for the neutral safety switch style solenoid. Grab a meter to find out. Then the key is in start, you should have 12V on the green and it goes to the 'S' terminal on the solenoid. When the key is in run, you should have 7-9V on the red w/white tracer, this one gets connected to the I terminal. When the Jeep is in neutral/park you should get a connection to ground through the other wire. If all this is correct, then you have the wrong solenoid to use the NSS interrupt. You can either get the correct one, or just skip over the NSS function.

 

Thanks so much guys. I’ll give this a try the next time I work on it.


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I'll throw my hat into the ring here,

This all looks like solenoid wiring stuff.

Those two red wires should go to the battery (+) side of the solenoid, big terminal.
The greenish (Faded Blue?) looking wire go to the "S" terminal.
The red/white wire to the "I" terminal.

It would be best to find out were the red/white wire actually terminates on the other end. That's a strange looking connector for either the coil or the solenoid. If the other end goes to the coil (+) then you are good to go. If not, then let us know were it goes.

However the STOCK Prestolite ignition system didn't need a bypass wire and wasn't used on the 76 CJ V8 or V6. So I'm not really sure were that red/white wire goes. But the PO could of wired in a Duaspark ignition system or used a points distributor. Got a picture of the ICM? (Ignition Control Module)

I think the NSS was in the column on the 76 CJ . Had nothing to do with the starter solenoid.

I've put in a Schematic also. It's huge so click on the picture.
[looks like uploading the picture changes the resolution. Here's a link: Copy and past it into your browser. ]
http://civilianjeep.info/Strenk/Electrical/Schematics/76-77hiMerged.jpg

That paint look really nice under the starter solenoid. Are you sure the solenoid is getting a good ground? You may have to grind off some paint or run an extra ground wire to the mounting bolts.

 

Thanks so much John. I also felt like the two large red wires should probably go to the battery side of the solenoid, based on the size of the ring terminals. (This is what I call “Jeep Archeology”)

Compounding the problem is the fact that the steering column is not currently wired, so I can’t use the ignition switch to determine which wires are getting power in what ignition position. But, I think I can sort it out.

Thanks so much for the information!


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I spent some time working on this wiring again last night. Unfortunately, I didn't make much real real progress. I'm not getting any spark from the coil...

I traced the red/white wire and it goes back towards the firewall, to a female spade connector, then changes to a green/white wire. I have NO IDEA what this should be connected to, as there's nothing in the vicinity of the connector?

Here's an overall shot of the voltage regulator, solenoid, and ICM - in case you see any glaring problems.

And here's the coil wiring. (I noticed that the condenser wire is missing, but I don't think that would prevent the coil from firing?)

I expect that the likely culprit is this mess of steering column wiring... The original column was removed and replaced with a tilt column. For some reason, the big wiring connector from the column will not plug into the harness from the Jeep. It's very close to a match, but not exactly. Not to mention the ignition switch was never connected to the ignition "box" on the column. Since I can't get the ignition switch into the "start" position, I think that's preventing voltage to the coil.

Ugh. I feel like I'm working a sudoku and I can't seem to figure out the first number...

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Did you bother to look at the wiring diagram I provided in post #2?

As I stated, the green and red/white wires are coil wires, if the harness is original. If the harness isn't original, all bets are off.

Matt

 

Did you bother to look at the wiring diagram I provided in post #2?

As I stated, the green and red/white wires are coil wires, if the harness is original. If the harness isn't original, all bets are off.

Matt

Did you look at this picture that shows the green and red w/tracer are hooked to the coil and the 'green' wire that is hooked to the starter solenoid is actually a very faded light blue? I think we are still off on where the red w/ white tracer goes as if it was supposed to go to the solenoid, it would have a 90 degree connector on it like the start wire.

 

This Jeep was running before it was disassembled, and it seems pretty clear that the two wires currently connected to the coil, were connected there before. I say that because they have flat spade connectors. The mystery red/white wire has what appears to be a factory connector on the end that wouldn’t physically connect to the coil.

I can’t be 100% sure any of the wiring is factory-original or not. I definitely agree that the diagram shows the red/white wire going to the coil, and I’m certainly not arguing or disagreeing with you (obviously I don’t know where the wire goes to!!). But that wire goes back to the firewall and eventually back to the ignition switch. The (+) and (-) on the coil should be coming from the voltage regular or ICM, I thought?

I appreciate all of you taking the time to look at this and give your opinion. I’m nearly at a loss... Luckily, the owner of this Jeep just bought another ‘76 CJ7 w/304 that should be arriving this weekend. Hopefully and can look at the wiring on that one to solve some of the mystery.

Another thought - we know the ignition switch and column are not functional or wired right now. Could this be preventing current to the coil? Or does it get power when I jump the battery side of the starter solenoid to the “s” terminal?


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Jumping 12v to the 'S' terminal will only provide power to spin the starter, it has nothing to do with powering up the ignition. To provide power to the ignition, you also need to get 12v to the large red wire what comes out of the connector on the firewall in position 13.

 

Nothing is going to happen until the ignition switch is sorted out.
Also the Ignition switch for a tilt column is backwards from a non-tilt column. I think the plugs are the same. The switch itself is different.
One is a push to start and one is a pull to start.

Did you connect those two wires to the big post on the starter solenoid yet?
That supplies power to the ignition switch. If these wires are not connected, nothing is going to happen either.

If you want to see if the engine runs without getting the ignition switch sorted out at this time, Simply run a jumper wire from the battery (+) to the coil (+). Use a heavy gauge wire, say 16ga would be enough, 12ga or 10ga would be better. You will have to disconnect this wire to shut off the engine so plan ahead.

Then run another jumper from the Battery (+) to the "S" terminal. This will have to be a momentary connection just to crank the engine over to start it.

Make sure you are not in gear as this defeats the Neutral safety switch.

That big terminal on the column is just for the turn signal switch and has nothing to do with the engine. There were two different Turn signal switches used from 76 to 86. The difference is in the size/spacing of the plug. New Turn signal switches are sold with a plug adapter to fit the earlier wiring harness.

(Thank God for people who upload thier pictures to jeep forum in the past. )

Here is the post: https://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f8/76-cj5-new-turn-signal-switch-not-match-up-1863698/

Also there is a notch in the plug, The plug on the harness side doesn't use the whole plug on the switch side.

So if the tilt column was from a later year CJ it would have the wrong plug for the earlier CJ. You would need a different Turnsignal switch or an adapter.

As far as your red/trace to green/trace wire conundrum.

It looks like it might of went to the Anti Diesel solenoid on the carb and connected somehow to the Transmission Controlled Spark (TCS). It's in the right location as far as I can see. You can remove it from your starter solenoid "I" terminal now that we know were it goes...

 

John - you are a gentleman and a scholar! As are the rest of you.

That explanation on the steering column harness helps a lot. I’ll let the owner know that he’ll need to source an adaptor if he wants to stick with the tilt column.


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John - you are a gentleman and a scholar! As are the rest of you.

That explanation on the steering column harness helps a lot. I'll let the owner know that he'll need to source an adaptor if he wants to stick with the tilt column.

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Or get a new switch for his year CJ. It will fit in the tilt column.

 

I was able to get the Jeep to fire up last night. The look on the owners face was priceless. He has been struggling with this restoration for the last several years - through some bad mechanics who left him high and dry.

From here, I need to sort out the steering column. The ignition switch and ignition "actuator rod" are not connected inside the column. The ignition turns freely and the rod slides with zero resistance. I also found a piece of broken pot-metal in the column (no idea where it came from, but I suspect it's part of our problem).

Are there any exploded diagrams of the steering column out there?


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Are there any exploded diagrams of the steering column out there?

How about the whole 1976 Jeep Technical Service Manual?

http://oljeep.com/edge_76_tsm.html

The auto steering column is in Section 11-28

Matt

 

Best to get the FSM Matt posted.

But yes, that piece of pot metal is probably your problem.

Does he have a tilt or straight column?

 

Yes, that looks a lot like the piece of metal that fell out.

It's a tilt column. He checked around and found one "in Texas" (I assume from Collins Bros.) for $500, without tilt.

Seems like it would be cheaper to fix the one he has, but I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to buy internal parts for it...?

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Dorman Ignition Switch Kit, 83211 (not sure if this is the right number. Best to ask. )

Something like this.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/...inder-assembly-13092/a49cbe324561/dorman-help-ignition-switch-kit/83211/4532286

Look on those HELP racks in your favorite auto parts store